The Thirteenth heir
by Whimsicalscrawls
Summary: A cursed destiny. A bloody past. Two unlikely individuals connected by the mysterious strings of destiny. As an ancient evil threatens to rise again, will the Thirteenth heir be able to fulfill her destiny? Will the tormented inuyoukai finally learn to face his past? A tale of shared childhoods, broken pasts and the unbreakable bonds of love and loyalty. SessX OC. AU
1. Prologue

**The Thirteenth Heir**  
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_Summary: A part of the priestess Midoriko's soul was sealed away in the Shikon no-tama. Her incomplete soul lingers, unable to cross over to the afterlife, unable to be reborn, forever bound to the narrow bridge that separates this world from the next. The jewel is passed on to a miko who is Midoriko's vessel, a priestess who was heir her remaining soul. Twelve priestesses had come and gone, and now it is up to the thirteenth to banish the jewel forever from this world. Will the young woman be able to fulfill her destiny, as her life is turned upside down by sudden revelations? How will she fare, in her path filled with nothing but pain and loss? And how is her lonely childhood tangled with the dark and bloody past of a cold, aloof demon? A story of shared childhoods, broken pasts and the unbreakable bonds of love and loyalty. An Inuyasha fanfiction. Takes place in the modern world._

Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha or any of the characters recognizable from the show. What I do own is the plot of this story and any oc that pops up. Enjoy reading!

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**Prologue**

Hisane knew she had very little time left….

The car skidded unsteadily through treacherous mountain roads of Kanazawa, slippery due to recent snow. It was still snowing; small white flakes danced their way slowly onto the waiting earth like feathers fallen from an angel's wings.

Hisane wrapped her tired hands around her little daughter, sound asleep on her lap, and held her close. Her eyelids strained to stay above her pupils. Pain burnt her insides as if she was on fire. She felt the warmth of the thick, metallic tasting blood that slowly trickled down the corner of her mouth, leaving a crimson streak down her chin. The car gave a skid and she tightened the grip around her child, afraid she might fall off. The patch of road visible through the windshield was getting in and out of focus. The yellow glow of the streetlights diffused across the melancholy road, throwing alternate band of darkness and light across her tired, frail body.

Hisane let out a sigh of despair. Trying to keep awake, she moved her head strenuously, focusing through blurred vision on a beloved face. Bright green eyes unfocused, head cocked towards her, he was buckled up to the driver's seat. A deep gash slashed across his chest and stained his clothes a deep red. His lifeless body shook with each swerve of the car, like that of a puppet attached to the hands of an unskilled puppeteer. Hisane stared at him numbly, an odd ringing in her ears.

_If it wasn't for me,_ A sob rose at the base of her throat. _If it wasn't for me, you would've_…Slowly, she moved her hands and curled her numb fingers around his palm which was cold as death.

It was so tempting to stop fighting, to stop struggling and die, to just give in to the white fog that was filling her head and drift…But she couldn't.

Curled asleep on her lap was the most precious thing in the world, her child. She looked down at her daughter, her tiny angel given to her in love. It had taken all her power to protect her child from the death that was awaiting her parents. Now she was powerless, barely able to keep her eyes open. But she had to protect her child, no matter what. In that speeding car, doomed to certain death, holding her family in her hands, Hisane realized that she had never felt lonelier before. So helpless, unable to protect the two people who meant everything to her, awaiting a painful death…There was nothing, absolutely nothing, she could do. No power in the world could save her. She didn't want to be saved. She deserved the worst death possible.

_I should've known…_Her tired eyes rested on the lifeless face in the driver's seat. _Everything I touch...dies..._Guilt squeezed her heart like an iron fist._ I should have known, _Tears flowed down her bloodstained cheeks. _I shouldn't have gone against fate. I rebelled, and now, now look what happened…_

_You were wrong, Takumi,_ She gently stroked his hand, managing a wan smile. _There never was a happy ending...Not for us._

Something made her look up and at the road ahead through her blurred vision.

Despite the darkening cloud she felt settling over her brain, she could make out the road illuminated by the streetlights, the hairpin bend approaching…

In a matter of time, the car would topple off the cliff, crashing down in a burst of flames, taking her and her family with it…

She gasped in terror. There was no way to stop the vehicle- the brakes had been tampered with. Frantically her mind raced, searching for some way to save her child. She scrunched her eyes shut, teeth gritting in concentration.

"Just this once..." she whispered desperately "Just this once, please!" A pink light appeared on her forehead which shined feebly in the form of a four leaved star. She raised a trembling hand and kept it steady over her child, trying hard to focus through her pain.

A thin film of silver appeared under her hand and hovered over the child like mist; and then it flickered and disappeared.

"NO!" White fog was blinding her, she had to fight...She raised her hand again, coughing up blood, wrenching her eyelids open. _I have to do something...She can't die!_ Body trembling, she tried to concentrate through her pain, trying to conjure what was left of her powers. Darkness began to obscure her senses. Each breath was a laborious battle against the steel band constricting her chest. Her bones were brittle with exhaustion. She was losing control over her body. She had to stay awake. She had to fight. One last thing...She couldn't-

With a shuddering sigh, she felt her hand fall limply onto her lap.

"Yuki..." She murmured as she fell forward, eyes closing on their own car gave a violent jerk as it careened off the bend and over the drop.

In the end, all that remained were flames that danced in the dark, snowy night...

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_Author's note: Thanks for reading! I hope you liked this chapter. I know it is short and doesn't have any mention of the inu characters in it, but I swear they'll start popping up from the next chapter onwards! REVIEW PLEASE!_


	2. Chapter 1: Ten years later

**CHAPTER ONE: ****TEN YEARS LATER**

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**Disclaimer: If I had owned Inuyasha, I wouldn't be sitting in front of a computer, typing away ****fan-fiction.**

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Yukiyo Takihara woke up with a start, blinking groggily and trying to sit up in the car seat. Peering out of the window, she watched numerous skyscrapers whirring past and couldn't ignore the apprehension that immediately settled down on her stomach like a heavy lead ball.

"Ah, finally awake, aren't we?" Shosei mocked from the driver's seat. "You've been dozing for almost eight hours, kiddo."

Yuki tried to stretch her sore limbs and sleepily mumbled something similar to '_are we there yet?'_

_"_Twenty minutes tops", Shosei announced. Yuki nodded and turned to look at the sprawling city of Tokyo speeding past, trying to hide the worried expression that was slapped onto her face from her uncle.

A few weeks ago, Shosei had got an opportunity to work in a very reputed hospital in Tokyo, big shot cardiac surgeon he was, and decided to move there. Yuki was accepted in the high- school, Chuusei High, boasting to be one of the best schools in all of Japan. Unfortunately it was mandatory for the hospital staff to live in the quarters and then it would be impossible for her to go to school every day, unless she could endure a five hour bus journey to and fro every working- day. So she proposed that she would live on her own in Tokyo, so that Shosei could pursue his career, and she her studies. Shosei was reluctant at first, but she was adamant. In the end he relented with a defeated sigh, and there she was, moving to an alien city, to fend for herself, just like that.

Yuki sighed. It hurt her that she had to be separated from her only family. It felt like a dream she would soon wake up from, but she knew it was real. It will be her, alone, against a scary, scary, world. No Shosei, no friends, nobody to turn to. Despite how she declared how well she could take care of herself and how 'the spirit of adventure was calling out to her', secretly, it was because she didn't want to be a liability to her uncle anymore. It's a part of growing up, she told herself firmly, her fingers clutching the fabric of her duffel bag as if it would give her some strength. She heard Shosei sigh.

"Are you _suuureee_ you would be alright?" He asked for the millionth time. Yuki groaned.

"A little trust, Sho...Please...", She groaned. "I can take care of myself, I'll have you know", Yuki crossed her arms defiantly.

"I'm sure you can." Shosei grinned. "Just don't try to cook anything though; you might burn the whole place down."

"Whatever", was the only thing she could counter with; the image of the half- burnt cabbage she had originally intended to be a delicious cabbage roll still vivid in her memory. "So how do you propose I eat, huh?

"Oh, I'm sure Ai can do the cooking." He sighed in exasperation at her confused expression. "_Ai_?Ai Nohara? Your new roommate?"

"Ah, yes," Realization began to dawn upon her. "My baby-sitter, you mean…"

"Oh, don't put it _that_ way," He smiled what Yuki called his 'Buddha- smile'. "I have complete trust in you and your capabilities in living alone." He said in a tone that clearly implied he didn't. "The old man just wanted some peace of mind, that's all…"

"Yeah right", She mumbled. "Oh, that reminds me, I need to get some stuff. There's a mall around here somewhere, right?" She saw Shosei gasp slightly. "Hey, what's the matter Sho?"

"Nothing, it's just...ow, my wallet's starting to hurt." Shosei placed a hand on his pocket and winced in mock- pain.

"Ha. Ha", Yuki stated acidly, and plopped back onto her seat.

xooxoxoxoxooxooxoxoxox

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A motorbike came to halt in front of a large shopping complex. On it were two silver haired demons, apparently younger one got off first, taking off his helmet and running a hand through his unruly silver dog ears atop his head twitched uncomfortably under the red and blue scarf he had tied around was their monthly shopping trip again, and he couldn't help but twist his face into a frown, having to play the grating role of trolley- puller and bag-carrier as his brother meticulously chose the items they was hell, and the only compensation was that Sesshomaru was burning alongside with him.

A piece of paper was thrust forcefully into his chest, causing him to stagger backwards a little.

"Hey what the-!"

"These are the items we would require", Sesshomaru remarked in a monotone. "And here's the money. I expect you to be done in an hour." This said, there was a loud roar of ignition and Sesshomaru was gone.

"WHAT THE HELL-?!"Inuyasha yelled out, shaking a balled fist after his brother."Sesshomaru you bastard! Get back here! We were supposed to be in this together! Sesshomaru!"

Shaking in anger, he smoothed the paper and leafed through the list of items he was supposed to buy. "Aw, man..." He groaned at the immensity of the task. "That damn son of a-!" He choked out an obscenity that made a lady walking nearby cover the ears of a puzzled four-year old. Fuming silently and ignoring the stares of the bystanders,he stomped off into the shopping center, grabbing a trolley and pushing it down the aisles like it was his sworn enemy.

Sesshomaru couldn't help but twist his lips into a half smile, imagining the face of his pissed-off brother. _Let him take some responsibility for once. Not that I care anyway..._The motorbike whirred through the asphalt, the cool hands of the wind gushing through his long silver tresses.

The sky was a dull grey, just the way he preferred it. No scorching sun, no annoying rain, just a bland, metallic sky. Sesshomaru hated good weather, but most of the time, the city offered little else. The merciless sun always appeared, stripping the sky off its grey tinge and cloaking it in a dishonest, nursery blue, making the world look childlike and pure...

Sesshomaru frowned. Of course it wasn't true...

Of course, its brittle joys and brightness were purely illusions; illusions which hid its true nature- the fear, the pain, the retching scent of blood, and the wretched unfairness of it all...He was there, he had seen it all. He had felt the fear that crawled under his skin and chilled his bones, heard the rustling whisper of death in his ears, heard its maniacal laughter resounding...

Sesshomaru narrowed his eyes and dismissed his thoughts with fierce determination. His memories had nothing to do with his present. They were to be locked up, deep within his heart, never to be let out. He had everything he needed. Nothing was amiss. And apart from his pest of a little brother, _half-brother, _his life was running along smoothly. But still...

Maybe it was instinct, maybe it was the gut feeling that made him look over his shoulder at an unknown enemy, but something was gnawing at his mind. Something was not right. Something he couldn't put a finger on. What was it?

It doesn't matter, he told himself. Such trivialities were not to be bothered with. Sesshomaru ignored his knotted, confusing thoughts and concentrated on the road ahead.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o

_:_

_Whoa! So huge! _Yuki couldn't help but look around in amazement at the biggest shopping complex she had ever seen. Granted, she had only seen three other, but she doubted if any other mall would be bigger than this.

She would have explored the huge place, curious as she was, but however, she was being more and more self- conscious by the minute, not very comfortable on her own at places like these. Shosei, knowing this, had offered to accompany her, but she resolutely turned him down, announcing she didn't want to look like a kid who couldn't take care of herself , which, however, was exactly how she was feeling at the moment. _What are you, a wimp? Get a grip already! _She told herself fiercely. She had to prove to Shosei she could look after herself. She decided to spend a reasonable time shopping and not run back as quickly as she had come.

She went from shop to shop, carefully spending the money, a habit she had cultivated due to Shosei's continuous nagging. She remembered shopping being a zillion times more fun when she went out with her friends. She sighed and wondered if she would find any in Chuusei High.

_Of course I will, don't be negative. I'll have a lot of friends, I'll have loads of fun, I'll have three high school years to remember... _She said to herself in her best, brightest, most motivating voice, not feeling as motivated as she would have liked. She sighed. _Whatever it is, I'll have to go with it...It was my decision to come here, after all..._

She wondered how the school would be like. It would be her first time studying in a school with demons, having been to an all- human school in Osaka, and gulped at the thought. Demons were strange, enigmatic creatures to her, ones she had only observed from a far distance. Many of them were utterly gorgeous, a_nd _rich, _and _arrogant. And the stories her friends had told her when she announced she would be doing her High school at Chuusei weren't very encouraging.

_"I hear there are real vampires studying there!"_

_"My brother's friend went to study there, he was bullied like hell by the demons!"_

_"And the humans there aren't much better either, I hear."_

She sighed. She had laughed and dismissed her friends' thoughts at the time, but now she wasn't feeling quite so sure. _Again, I'll have to go with it, whatever it is...Sticking to my decision..._She reminded herself nervously. After making sure she had got all the items she had wanted, she walked back to the entrance.

"Move it..." Someone told her from behind brashly. She stepped sideways and saw a silver blur rushing past her. Her eyes widened._ Demon!_ _  
_

She gazed at the thick silver hair that flowed down his back; a shade she had never seen in any other demon's hair. "Whoa", she breathed. With quick, wide steps, the demon boy passed the entrance, carrying two giant bags that looked close to bursting with everything that was crammed into them.

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The silver haired dog demon waited outside the shopping complex. Inuyasha was supposed to be done soon. As on cue, the mechanical doors opened and a very irked- looking hanyou stepped out, carrying two gigantic shopping bags and scowling at nobody. Sesshomaru fought down a smirk. Inuyasha huffed and looked around, glaring as he caught sight of his elder brother. He stomped off towards the bike, pulling the bags along.

Damn asshole, Inuyasha thought. He was fancying a snack after the ordeal so called shopping, but his brother, as always, was so precise with the money, barely a hundred yen was left.

"You are seven minutes late, Inuyasha." His brother remarked.

"Well, bite me." He muttered angrily, securing the bags to the bike. "Where the hell have you been anyway?"

"Inuyasha, must you always poke your wet nose into matters that doesn't concern you?" Sesshomaru inquired, noticing, to his slight displeasure, that the sun was slowly peeking out from the clouds.

"Fine, be that way! I won't give a damn if you get run over by a stupid train!"

"The sentiment is mutual, hanyou."

""Keh, whatever", Inuyasha managed as defiantly as he could over his rumbling stomach. Sesshomaru 'hmph' ed and was about to kick start.

The mechanical doors opened and closed behind him. There was a small breeze which carried a strangely familiar scent...Sesshomaru froze. It took all his will to stop his head from turning back. The scent, with subtle changes from what he remembered, drifting towards him slowly, carrying with it the memories of a long forgotten past.

And suddenly, stronger than before, everything flooded back to him. Suddenly his head was full of forests, cold rivers, the acrid scent of fear, _blood..._

_Of murdered fathers and absent mothers._

His heart pounded forcefully in his chest. His clawed hand curled around the bike handle in a vice like grip. Images began to flash in front of his eyes. He heard the rustle of forest leaves. Felt the touch of the river on his skin.

He had to get away. Fast.

With a speed that knocked back the surprised hanyou, Sesshomaru sped out of the shopping complex, away from the memories that inched along the sides of his brain with long, probing fingers.

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Yuki stepped out of the shopping complex, her purchase in white paper bags. There was a gentle breeze that lifted her hair. Spotting her uncle's black Volvo, she walked towards it, just in time to see the silver haired boy she had seen earlier speed off in a motorbike behind someone.

She caught him waiting outside the car, fiddling with his mobile.

"About time", he muttered, looking a bit annoyed.

"Come on, gimme a break, uncle...I had a lot of stuff to buy."

"What stuff?"

"Girly stuff. You wanna know?"

"What if I do?"

"Yeah, as if I'm gonna tell you, you old per-"

"Umm...Excuse me?" They turned to see a woman with a bob cut, who looked as if she was in her late thirties. Behind her was a pretty brown- eyed girl who seemed the same age as Yuki. "Are you," She looked at Shosei, "by any chance, Dr. Shosei Takihara?"

"Uh, yes, that would be me." Shosei smiled warmly at her. "How may I help you, madam?" The woman's eyes shined in admiration.

"My name is Sakura Higurashi, and this is my daughter, Kagome Higurashi. You may not remember us, doctor, but you performed a surgery on Kagome twelve years ago. You saved her life, doctor..." Yuki watched, amazed as the woman wiped tears from the corner of her eyes. Kagome tenderly touched her mother's shoulders, looking worried.

"She looked dreadful back then, so fragile, barely able to breathe; I thought I was going to lose her...We went to several doctors, but everybody opined that there was no hope for her; that the surgery was too risky... That her heart was failing day by day...And then we came to you, and you agreed to perform the operation on her, despite the risk. It was a miracle, an act of God, and my baby was cured..." Sakura sniffed. "All thanks to you, doctor..."

_Whoa. I knew Sho was good, but I had no idea he was _that _good..._Yuki turned to look at him. Unless she was imagining it, she saw that there was a hardness beneath his eyes. His hands shook slightly and he kept them hidden in his coat pocket. He was smiling, but his smile didn't quite touch his eyes. Someone walking by would see a tall middle aged man smiling at a woman, but his niece, who knew him well, could see something was not right. _What's the matter? He isn't usually like this..._

"You are praising me too much, Mrs. Higurashi..." Shosei broke a warm grin. "What can I say? Apparently God had great plans for little Kagome. How're you doing, Kagome?"

"I- I'm fine, sir..." Kagome piped shyly. "Mama had told me a lot about you, and how you worked so hard to save my life. I am forever grateful to you, sir."

"You're flattering me, Kagome." Shosei laughed an embarrassed laugh. Yuki felt her breathing go down to normal. _I was imagining stuff...He's okay. _"Oh, and uh, this is my niece, Yuki." He gestured to her.

"Umm, hi...I am Yukiyo Takihara. Its a pleasure to meet you, Mrs. Higurashi, Kagome- chan..." Yuki bowed respectfully.

"Its a pleasure to meet you too Yukiyo." Sakura and Kagome bowed.

"She's starting her high school at Chuusei next week." Shosei announced.

"Oh that's great! I'm joining Chuusei too." Kagome beamed. "Hope we are in the same class."

"Really? That's awesome. At least I'll have one person I know there..." Yuki smiled, taking an immediate liking to Kagome.

"Good. Kagome, you look the mature type. Please take care of Yuki for me, won't you? She's not used to taking care of herself", Shosei droned, putting a hand on Yuki's head."She's also not very good at making friends, and I don't want her to be alone so..." Yuki blushed furiously and willed the ground to swallow her up.

_"Shosei..." _She spoke in an embarrassed voice . Her sentiment, on the contrary, was lucid_. YOU STUPID OLD MAN! _ _Why are you embarrassing me like this? _Unable to do much else but mentally glare at him, Yuki just smiled awkwardly.

"Of course, doctor!" Kagome smiled genuinely. "I promise to take care of Yuki- chan, no matter what. You can count on me, sir!"

"Thank you, Kagome", Shosei said. Yuki impressed herself by broadening her awkward smile further, and was fearing the onset of lockjaw.

After exchanging some pleasantries and politely declining an invitation to their home, (_Some other time, Mrs. Higurashi, lots to do..._) Shosei and Yuki drove off, leaving a grateful Sakura and Kagome at the shopping complex.

As soon as the car turned a bend, Yuki unleashed her rage. "What did you do that for?! Did you absolutely _have_ to embarrass me like that?" Shosei laughed and ruffled her hair, one hand at the steering wheel. She tried to swat his hand away.

"Cut it out!_ Hey!" _

"Who else do I have to make fun of but you, sweetheart...?" He asked gently, his eyes soft with affection. Yuki blushed slightly.

"Stupid old man..." She muttered and crossed her arms against herself, realizing she couldn't be angry at him even if she tried. "Just don't do it again, okay?" Shosei guffawed.

"As you say so!" Yuki smiled and looked outside. With a sinking feeling, she realized that in a matter of hours, he would take off, leaving her alone in an alien land.

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**Uh, I'm not... dead...*dodges random objects being thrown*. All I can say is that med school is hell, and my particular college just so likes to torture us with exams once every few days. And I was busy as hell, I swear! Sorry I couldn't update sooner. Seriously...**

**By the way, if anyone is reading this, kindly point out any mistakes you can spot. You know, if any of the characters are being OOC (especially Sesshomaru), any grammatical errors, etcetra.**

**And while you are at it, review please?**

**Ja ne, **

**-Whimsicalscrawls**


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